Medical charges vary widely across Ohio

Costs differ based on needs, hospitals say

6:54 AM,
May 9, 2013

Written by

Russ Zimmer
CentralOhio.com

The average charge to Medicare for a heart attack patient can vary by more than $83,000 in Ohio, depending on what hospital is sending the bill, according to newly released federal data.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made public this week the average charges for the 100 most frequently billed services in fiscal year 2011 paid by Medicare, a government-run health insurance program for the elderly. The data covers 3,201 U.S. hospitals, including 131 in Ohio, and allows users to compare costs between facilities.